The Princess of the Night
by TheAnarchistEire
Summary: Ok, this is my first attempt at a fanfic, reviews are encouraged! So this story takes place just after Nightmare Moon is banished from Equestria, more chapters to come. Luna X OC. Not the greatest at summary's, so read on to find out what happens!
1. Chapter 1

The Princess of the Night

Chapter 1 – An Unexpected Twist

(The events described in this story take place after Nightmare Moon's exile by Princess Celestia)

There was a blinding light, accompanied by a searing flash of pain which disappeared as suddenly as it arrived. The former princess cried out in pain as she plummeted towards the lake that had just materialised below her. The night sky was clear, which was odd, thought Nightmare Moon. The last thing she saw before her sister cast that spell on her was a cloud filled sky. Nightmare could feel herself picking up speed, racing towards the lake in a streak of light.

"I wonder if we look like a shooting star?" mused a small voice in Nightmare's head.

"Oh, for pony's sake, do shut up, we don't have time for your nonsense" retorted Nightmare as she reached terminal velocity.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" inquired the voice again, seemingly indifferent to the entire affair.

"Most likely" admitted Nightmare, striking the lake.

The Alicorn's body froze in shock from both the impact and the temperature of the water in which it was now immersed. The princess of the night could feel that she'd broken some bones with the force of the impact. Just before she lost consciousness, the former co-ruler of Equestria willed herself to float to the surface.

Less than a mile away from the aforementioned lake, a young man was just leaving the stable after tending to his horses. It was the middle of the night and he wasn't used to disturbances like this, but he enjoyed the horse's company, and so went to check on them.

"I wonder what got them so worked up?" he muttered to himself. Just then there was a noise akin to a cannon firing. The man's keen ears told him the sound had originated from somewhere near the lake. Sensing danger, he swiftly crossed the yard and opened his back door, retrieving the shotgun he kept there for pest control. Admittedly, he had never used it on an animal, but he took it regardless. It made him feel brave. The young man set off at a jog towards the lake.

Ten minutes later he arrived, sweating and out of breath.

"God, I really need to get back in shape" the man panted. He remembered being in secondary school and running the same distance in almost half the time, without feeling nearly as exhausted as he did now. Just then the man snapped back to reality when he noticed ripples on the otherwise still lake. He gazed out across the lake and thought he spotted something, but he couldn't be sure. He approached the edge of the lake and called out.

"Hey! Is anyone out there?"

There was no reply, but the mysterious shape was steadily drifting closer to shore, and so the man waited patiently.

After five minutes or so, the shadow began to take on substance, and the man was shocked by what he saw. It looked like a horse floating slowly towards him. Without a moment's hesitation the man threw down his shotgun, stripped down to his underwear and began to wade into the lake. Instantly he regretted his decision, for the water was icy cold, but it was too late, he was already in, so he may as well continue. With the water up to his waist, the man unceremoniously plunged forward into the freezing water and began paddling towards the shape, which was now easily identifiable as a horse of some description, or so the man thought. He was too busy to notice the folded wings and single horn that the creature possessed.

"How in the world you managed to get yourself out here is beyond me" said the man, his teeth chattering from the cold. He wrapped one arm around the animal's neck and gently pulled it back to shore. When they finally flopped onto the grass bank surrounding the lake the man felt so drained that he simply collapsed on the ground.

"How nice it would be to just lie here and sleep under the stars" he thought. But he knew he would not be able to sleep without first ensuring that the horse was ok, so he pushed himself up off of the ground and slowly approached the still unconscious horse.

It was at that moment that the man noticed the strange appendages on the mare's sides and head. Certain he was hallucinating; the man knelt down and gently stroked the magnificent beast's wings and horn.

"What in the world are you?" the man whispered, filled with awe.

Princess Luna had witnessed the entire affair from her mind; however she was still too weak to regain consciousness. In her mind's eye, she stomped her hoof in frustration. She could only hope against hope that this strange creature would not abandon her, for she required answers. What was this place? How did she get here? What was this strange creature who was even now checking for the flutter of her heartbeat, a small breath in her lungs? And most importantly, what was this strange connection they both seemed to share?

She searched her mind for any sign of Nightmare Moon and found her in a dark and secluded part of her mind.

"I am sorry, but I cannot have you wreaking havoc here in this world" said the princess, imprisoning her darker half in that small recess of her subconscious. She then began preparing herself for the traumatic transition back to consciousness.

The man breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the rise and fall of the creature's chest. He draped his clothes over the beast and snuggled up close to it in an attempt to warm it up and keep himself warm at the same time. It was at that moment the Alicorn's eyes flickered open and a slight moan escaped its lips. The man, who was dozing off, became instantly alert. He sat up and stared at the Alicorn, patiently waiting for it to regain full consciousness.

"Wh-where are we?" mumbled Princess Luna.

The man's jaw fell in amazement as he backpedalled away from the creature. It talks?

"No, please do not fear us" said the princess of the night, reaching a hoof towards him, "We mean you no harm."

"No way… This is not happening" muttered the man to himself.

"Actually, it is" said Luna, confused. "Please, we need your help"

"O-of course" the man stuttered, deciding to go along with things.

He approached the midnight blue horse once again and began to examine her body.

"I'm not one hundred per cent sure, but I think your forelegs may be broken" said the man, looking the creature in the eyes for the first time. He felt an odd sensation in his chest, like all the air had suddenly left his lungs.

"Do you have a name?" he inquired, though he was not sure why.

"My name is Luna."

"Well Luna, it's a pleasure to meet you, although I wish it could have been under different circumstances. I'm afraid we have a slight problem."

"What is it?"

"Well, my house is over a mile away and I have no way to get you there"

"That should not be a problem, just picture your home in your mind."

"I'm not sure how that will help" said the man slowly.

"Trust me, just do it."

"Alright." The man pictured the yard of his house, with the stables off to one side and an old pickup truck parked out front. As he did this, he became aware of a strange presence in his mind. He felt a surge of energy and suddenly they were sitting in the yard, Luna panting from the teleportation spell she had just cast.

"Ok, now I know I'm dreaming" said the man, looking at his surroundings, slightly disoriented.

"What makes you say that?" inquired the princess.

"Well, first off; I'm woken up in the middle of the night by strange noises and my horses going crazy. Then I come to the lake and find a winged unicorn-"

"Alicorn" interrupted the princess.

"-Alicorn, which then teleports me back to my house. I don't know how things work where you're from, but that just doesn't happen in this world."

The man sighed. "It doesn't matter; I'll figure it out in the morning. I can't really let you stay in the stables, the horses don't like visitors."

"That is quite alright, we shall simply stay in your humble abode."

"My house?" said the man, confused. "But I don't have anywhere for a pony to stay."

"Not even a spare bed?"

"Well yeah, but- Forget it, you can sleep in my spare bed tonight, I just need some rest."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A Shocking Revelation

The next morning the man was shocked to find Luna in his kitchen preparing a breakfast salad.

"Really? I'm still dreaming?"

"No, I am actually real, and the sooner you can accept this, the sooner I can start getting answers" said the mare, levitating the meals over to the table and pulling a chair out for the man. "But where are my manners, I don't even know your name so I can thank you."

"Gerard" said the man meekly, sitting down and tucking in to his breakfast.

"Well Gerard, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance" she said, extending a hoof. "And thank you for allowing me to stay the night" she said as they shook. Gerard felt an odd sensation as he gripped the mare's hoof, but pushed it out of his mind. "No, a pony, really? That's just messed up" he said to himself.

"Wait, wasn't your leg broken last night?" asked Gerard, confused.

"It was, but you would be amazed at what a good night's sleep could do for you" said the pony slyly.

"Yeah, that and being an Alicorn" responded Gerard, rolling his eyes.

The princess chuckled, "Well yes, I suppose that helps too."

Luna's laughter sent a shiver down Gerard's spine.

"So, how exactly did you get here?" asked Gerard.

"Well, it is a long story…"

After the former princess had finished recounting her tale, Gerard was only able to sit there, slack jawed. Amazingly, the story had taken several hours to tell, although Gerard felt there were still elements to the story that he didn't know. Gerard had work to do, but as he looked out the window he noticed the rain pouring down, drenching everything in sight. There was a distant peal of thunder.

"Ok, I think I'm going to need a drink after that" he mumbled, attempting to rise from his seat.

"Allow me" said Luna, opening the fridge with her magic. "What would you like?"

"A vodka and coke please"

"These?" inquired the mare, indicating the two bottles she had just removed from the fridge.

"Yes, perfect" replied Gerard as the bottles floated over to him along with a glass. "Oh, but where are my manners?" he said as he poured a generous amount of alcohol into his glass. "Would you like some, princess? God, I feel stupid just saying that."

"Please. And I do not see why, do you not meet royalty often?"

"No, actually. In fact, you're the first" said Gerard, offering the drink to the mare.

"I see" said the princess, taking a sip and almost choking.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry, I must have overdone it on the vodka" said Gerard, circling the table and laying a reassuring hand on the princess's shoulder.

"No, it is fine, I am just not used to such high quality alcohol in Equestria" said the pony through a round of coughing. She turned her head around to further comfort him and their eyes met. They were silent for a few seconds, then blushed and looked away. As Gerard sat back down, his mind was reeling.

"Why do I feel like this? If what she says is true, and I think it is, she isn't even from the same world as me, never mind the fact that she isn't the same species." But he had definitely seen something in Luna's eyes; the mare was just as confused as he was. Gerard covered up this long silence by taking a long, slow drink. Already he could feel the alcohol beginning to impair his judgement, but he wasn't sure he cared. Luna also took another drink, this time managing not to choke, although she did cringe as the liquid travelled down her throat and into her stomach.

"So, Luna, do you have any lucky stallions back home?" blurted Gerard, unsure why he asked such a question. Had he gone too far?

Luna, for her part, looked slightly taken aback. "Umm, not per se, but Celestia did have a few suitors, I suppose you could call them. But I doubt any of them could have been my special somepony, if that is what you mean. None of them made me feel… special. They just saw me as a way to improve their links with the kingdom."

"Well they're all fools if you ask me. I mean come on, the princess of the night? The pony that created the moon and the stars, nothing special?" said Gerard. He could feel the tension in the room building.

"Why thank you Gerard. That is probably the nicest thing anypony has ever said to me."

Gerard felt that familiar shiver run up his spine upon hearing the beautiful mare say his name. He found himself inspecting her, every little detail, looking for some kind of flaw. Needless to say, he found none.

"What is wrong with you?" said a voice in his head. "Checking out a pony? You know that's disgusting, you freak."

"Shut up!" Gerard muttered under his breath. Thankfully, Luna didn't notice, as she was busy draining her glass. She sat it down a little roughly, apologising. Gerard got up with the intention of leaving the glasses in the sink and returning the alcohol to the fridge, but found himself swaying ever so slightly while doing so. As he returned to the table, he lost his balance, falling into Luna's outstretched hooves.

"Whoa there, take it easy!" she chuckled, draping the drunken man across her back. "I think somepony needs a little lie down."

"That sounds like a plan" said Gerard, feeling more alert now that he was in contact with the pony. Her fur was well kept, and her flowing mane, although it appeared insubstantial, was actually thick and soft. Luna proceeded to teleport to Gerard's room and laid him on his bed.

As she leaned over to pull his covers over him, their eyes met once more. This time there was no doubt, both man and mare knew the other's feelings. As they began to lean towards each other, Gerard stopped.

"What is wrong?" Luna asked, confused. "Is this not what you want?"

"I-it is, but I'm afraid" admitted Gerard.

"Afraid… of what?"

"Of everything. Of this, of a man and an Alicorn being together. I mean, you're immortal, whereas my days are numbered. I don't want to hurt you." Gerard swallowed, hesitating. "That and I don't think you could ever love me, not with my past and, judging by your brief overview, vice versa."

"Well, there is only one way to find out, is there not?"

Suddenly, Luna's horn began to glow and Gerard's head was suddenly filled with memories that were not his own. With a start, he realised who they belonged to. The two remained still for the longest time, experiencing the best and worst of each other. When it was over, Gerard had a new determination in his eyes.

"So, will it work?" inquired the princess of the night.

Gerard, by way of reply, leaned up and kissed the pony square on the lips. Luna kissed him back and they stayed like that for a while, revelling in the well of newfound emotions the kiss had opened up.

After a few minutes they broke off the kiss at the same time. Both had tears in their eyes. However, they were not tears of sadness, but of joy.


	3. Chapter 3

The Princess of the Night

Chapter 3 – A Bold Promise

Gerard woke up later that evening with Luna in his arms. He smiled at the memories of the past twenty four hours. He carefully detached himself from the sleeping mare and quietly descended the stairs. He still had a silly grin on his face as he set the kettle to boil and sat in the same chair as earlier. The storm that was raging earlier had eased off and the sky was cloudless. A large hunter's moon hung in the sky, giving off a comforting glow.

"Good evening" said Luna, teleporting into the room.

"Indeed it is" said Gerard, unsure of what else to say. He wanted to ask Luna something, but he was afraid of getting his hopes up, just in case. Finally he decided to go ahead and ask.

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible, in theory, for a creature other than an Alicorn to learn Alicorn magic?"

"You want to learn it in the hope of extending your life." It was a statement, not a question.

"In part, yes. But also, I just think it'd be pretty cool to be able to teleport and levitate stuff" said Gerard, a twinkle of childishness in his eyes.

"Well, normally a pony would have to train for many years to be able to control magic that powerful" started Luna carefully. "But, ever since I first met you, I have felt a strange aura emanating from you, something similar to the magical aura beings in my world extrude. I would say it is possible, if you were willing to invest a lot of time and effort."

"Well, I have nothing better to do, and if there's a chance it might work, I'd like to give it a try, if you were willing to teach me?"

"I do not see why not" said the princess, shrugging. "Very well, I shall teach you the ways of magic, in return for you teaching me everything there is to know about your world."

"That seems fair" said Gerard. "So, where do we begin?"

And so, that is how life continued for Gerard and Luna for many years. Gerard bought many books, on subjects ranging from history to medicine, encompassing most, if not all, of mankind's greatest achievements, and quite a few of their shortcomings as well. He became a recluse, retiring from his job as a writer of fiction and rarely passing the boundaries of his land. He bought supplies and renovated his house to accommodate Luna.

In return, Luna kept her promise and began to teach Gerard the secrets of her power. Her assumption proved correct, and Gerard quickly grasped the concepts Luna explained to him, progressing unimaginably fast in his studies. Soon, Luna had taught Gerard everything she knew, but it was not enough. Gerard still aged like a normal man. He began to buy books on the ancient magic of his world, quickly realising that he was adept at those arts also.

By the time he was an old man, he knew everything there was to know about magic. But no matter what spell, potion or ritual he tried, he could not stop the fact that he was reaching the end of his days. It was at this point that Luna, out of desperation, preformed an age spell on Gerard, returning him to the age he was when they first met. But Gerard realised that they could not continue their lives like that, rejuvenating him every time he grew old, and so he decided to take a serious risk.

He gathered some supplies and snuck out of their house in the middle of the night, leaving only two things, a letter and a small box. That was the last time Gerard was seen on that world, but no one noticed his departure. Only one creature mourned his absence, a beautiful midnight blue Alicorn.

Luna woke up suddenly, without apparent reason. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a scream. She rolled over in the bed to ask Gerard when she figured it out. She was alone. It was not strange for Gerard to take late night walks, yet the mare felt an odd sense of foreboding and so Luna decided to locate him with her magic just to make sure he was ok. However, when she sent tendrils of magic out across the fields surrounding the house, she could not feel him. Just as she was about to recall her magic, it found a residual patch of energy.

"I wonder what is going on?" thought the pony, worried.

Luna teleported to the place where she last felt his presence, on the shores of a crystal clear lake, in the shade of an ancient willow tree. She began to weep when she noticed that she was standing at the exact point that their eyes had first met on that fateful night, all those decades ago. She stomped her hoof in frustration and despair, but there was no force behind it.

The princess felt her legs beginning to buckle, and when she hit the ground, she was in the kitchen, next to the table where she had told him her story. On that table she saw a piece of paper. Upon closer inspection she found it was a letter from Gerard.

"My dearest princess Luna,

I'm sorry to have left without saying goodbye, but I knew if I did, I would never have left. You and I both know that we cannot go on forever making me young when I grow old. We need to find a more permanent solution. It is for this reason that I have left. I cannot find the answers I seek in my world, so I will attempt to find them in yours. I have travelled to Equestria in the hope of finding immortality. Do not fear princess, for I am sure we will meet again. Your imprisonment will not last forever, and I eagerly await your return.

Just in case you are not one hundred per cent sure of my commitment, I want you to go to our room and look inside the bottom drawer of my bedside cabinet. Inside you will find a gift. Keep it safe until your return, because there will be use for it when we meet again, with your consent of course."

Luna's heart was in her throat as she read the letter. A gift? What could it possibly be?

"Finally, I would just like to thank you. For everything. You were the only creature on this planet that gave me a chance, even after you saw my past. No one has ever done that before. For the last sixty years, you have made my life worth living.

I must go now, but not before I say one last thing. Luna, Princess of the Night, I love you.

Yours sincerely,

Gerard."

Luna's heart raced as she finished the letter. He loves her? In sixty years, they had never said that to each other. They had always known their feelings for each other without the need for words. It was such a shock to finally see it, written in his handwriting, there in front of her.

Luna suddenly remembered the gift that the letter had mentioned. He said that there would be use for it, with her consent. This confused the mare. In the end, she decided to just see what the gift was, hoping that it would make more sense then. The princess teleported to their bedroom, quickly opening the bottom drawer of the bedside cabinet to find a small box. Intrigued, Luna floated the box closer to her, anticipation rising like bile in her stomach.

The mare slowly opened the box to reveal a golden ring, with a single diamond in its centre. But it was no ordinary diamond, it was a deep midnight blue, and when it caught the light the sparkles reminded her of the night time sky. Choking back tears, the princess said to the empty room; "Oh Gerard, I do."


	4. Chapter 4

The Princess of the Night

Chapter 4 – A Risky Move

"I must go now, but not before I say one last thing. Luna, Princess of the Night, I love you.

Yours sincerely,

Gerard."

Gerard looked at the letter as it lay on the table and, not for the first time that night, considered crumpling it up and returning to bed. But, as he rose from his chair and shrugged his backpack on to his shoulder, he knew that he could not, there was too much at stake. He didn't want to die, now that he suddenly had something worth living for. With newfound determination, Gerard quietly returned upstairs and kissed the sleeping mare lightly on the lips. He knew that he probably wouldn't get the chance to do so again for almost one thousand years, and that was assuming everything went according to plan.

With that, he focused and in a flash of light, Gerard appeared on the shore of the lake where he and Luna first met. He quickly set about preparing the area for the spell he was about to cast, which would hopefully transport him to Equestria, his lover's homeland.

It was a hybrid of both Equestrian and human magic, the likes of which had never been seen before and would likely never be seen again. Once he was finished the ground was a myriad of symbols, sigils and runes. Gerard sensed Luna was close to waking, and began to chant in an ancient language, a note of urgency in his deep voice.

There was a light breeze that was blowing became a howling gale, though only within the protective circle enclosing Gerard. Storm clouds gathered above his head. Outside, all was still. Gerard could feel his energy leaving him and as the spell reached its climax, his entire body stiffened and he let out an almost inhuman scream as he was struck by a bolt of lightning and disappeared.

Gerard was surrounded by a white fog, which upon further inspection was found to be insubstantial. Intrigued, he began to further explore his surroundings. However, there didn't appear to be any, not even a floor to stand on. Perfect. It was exactly as he had expected, this space between dimensions. However, Gerard knew he could not rest yet, for there was still work to be done.

He focused, and his whole body felt as if it were on fire as his limbs and torso morphed and changed, assuming their new shape. Gerard fell on to all fours as his face began to change, contorting into a muzzle. It felt as if someone was pulling a large nail out of his brain as a horn began to form on top of his head. With one final gasp of pain, the transformation was complete, but Gerard did not have time to admire his handiwork. Gerard wearily rose, hoping that this would be the last task that he would have to perform this night.

His newly formed horn glowed brightly and Gerard suddenly found himself falling at dangerous speed. Using magic to slow his descent, Gerard deposited himself softly on the snow covered ground. He could see the light of a fire emanating from a nearby cave. Knowing it was his only hope for survival, Gerard willed his horn to emit a bright glow while saying one word before passing out.

"Help."


	5. Chapter 5

The Princess of the Night

Chapter 5 – The Rise: Part 1

Ok, it is at this point that I am going to take a short break from storytelling to point out that the events described in this chapter are just a brief overview of Gerard's training, not the entirety of it. I am only going to include parts I feel are relevant to the rest of the story as it is in my mind at this moment. If I feel I have left out something important, I will include it in a flashback in the relevant chapter. Ok, now back to storytelling.

Gerard awoke late the next day, wrapped in blankets next to the fire, which by now had burned itself out. He examined the cave, finding it was reasonably deep and sheltered from the elements, with obvious signs of somepony having lived there for quite some time. He got up and approached the back wall of the cave, where there was evidence of somepony chiselling at the wall in an attempt to deepen the cave further.

"Well then, it seems you're finally awake" said a voice from behind him. Gerard quickly spun around to face the direction the voice had originated from to find a grey unicorn with a tattered blue cloak and hat standing not far from the entrance of the cave. Both pieces of clothing were missing several of his trademark bells, but the stars shone as bright as ever. Luna had mentioned this pony many a time during their discussions on magic.

"Starswirl? Starswirl the Bearded? Is that really you?" Gerard could hardly believe his luck, the pony that had saved him just happened to be one of the most powerful unicorns to have ever lived.

Starswirl seemed confused. "Do I know you?"

"Well, not exactly, no. But I have heard quite a lot about you and I was hoping that you could help me-"

"I am not going to teach you magic, if that's what you mean" interrupted the old pony gruffly. "There's a reason I went into exile you know."

Gerard was shocked. "But I really-"

"No, and that is my final answer. I don't care how gifted you are in your hometown, or how proud your mother is of your abilities, or how much you promise to only use your powers selflessly and for good and so on. I will not teach you" said the unicorn sternly, busying himself by unpacking the saddlebags he had with him.

He looked up from his work to see the mysterious pony slumped on the ground, wallowing in his own despair. The old stallion softened at the pitiful sight in front of him.

"There is something I can do for you though."

The forlorn pony perked up at this. "Yes?"

"There is an old student of mine, Clover the Clever, very bright young colt, who, if I'm not mistaken, has settled not too far from here. If you go to him, he may be willing to teach you" offered Starswirl.

"No, I'm afraid that just won't do, I doubt there's anything he could teach me, for I also doubt you've taught him everything you know" said Gerard, poking at the ground with his hoof.

"Smart pony. A master only reveals his or her secrets while on their deathbed, for some magic is just too powerful for the world to know. But how could you have known this?"

"My… previous teacher did the same, they wouldn't teach me the age spell, but what they don't know is that I have taught it to myself."

Starswirl looked shocked at that. "Taught yourself? My my, now that is something." He became suddenly suspicious. "What is your old teacher's name, boy?"

Gerard looked meekly at the ground. "I-I'd rather not say…"

"And why is that?" inquired the old unicorn.

"Well for a start, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"Alright, but only if you promise to teach me."

"Well then, this must be some story you have to tell, if you think it's worth tuition from me" said a sceptical Starswirl.

"I'll let you decide that" said Gerard with a wink.

"Well, that was… something" said Starswirl, after hearing Gerard's story. "Although, rather hard to believe. I mean a human with the ability to learn magic? Human feet haven't walked on Equestrian soil in eons. It all sounds very far-fetched. Do you have any evidence to back this up?"

"Well, yes, but I'm not sure I feel up to turning into my human form again, it took a lot out of me."

"I suppose I could lend you some of my power, if that would help?" suggested the unicorn.

"Fine, I'll just drop this guise for a few seconds, rather than undo the spell completely, that way I won't expend too much energy."

Gerard began to focus and his horn glowed with a blood red aura, which grew until it was almost blinding. Starswirl added his magic, a golden aura surrounding his horn. A silhouette appeared from within the glow, which was quickly residing. Starswirl stared in awe at the bipedal form that had appeared if front of him. As quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, revealing the dark brown unicorn once again.

Starswirl could only stand there, staring at Gerard. Finally, he spoke. "Well, that certainly is something. All right then, I will teach yo- what are you doing?" finished Starswirl.

Gerard was busy jumping around the cave in delight.

"I'm jumping around your cave in delight, is that not clear?"

Gerard finished jumping around the cave and stood still as his new master continued to talk.

"Ahem, as I was saying, I will teach you, in return for you teaching me the magic of your world."

"Seems fair" said Gerard, almost unable to contain his joy. Surely a unicorn as powerful as Starswirl the Bearded would know the secret to immortality. He was among the oldest ponies in the land, not including the Alicorns.

"So, when do we start?" asked Gerard eagerly.

"Start? Boy, you've been unconscious for three days, we won't be starting training until I'm satisfied that you're back to full strength. Besides, we don't exactly have anywhere to practise, to meditate, brew potions, or to live for that matter. No, there are many things to arrange before your training begins."

"Fine then" said Gerard impatiently, "I'll start deepening the cave, I can see where you've made a start."

"Observant pony, very well then, you get going with that, I'll fix up some restorative potions for you."

The two ponies were sitting in a bare room that Gerard had carved out with his horn. "The information you seek, immortality that is, is not actually difficult to obtain. Well, maybe on your world it is, but not here in Equestria. The secret is magic." Stated Starswirl proudly.

Gerard raised an eyebrow. "Magic. That's it?"

"Well now, don't sound so disappointed, surely you should be happy it is so easy to attain longevity?"

"Well yeah, but I was expecting… more, I guess. Like sacred rituals and robed figures and selling your soul and stuff, you know?" said Gerard.

It was Starswirl's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You are, without a doubt, the strangest being I have ever encountered."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Starswirl ploughed on before there were any more interruptions.

"As I was saying, the secret is magic. Magic rejuvenates the body and soul with regular use and eventually slows the ageing process-"

"Slows it? How much exactly?"

"Well, that depends on many factors, such as; how regularly magic is used, how powerful said magic is and the pony themselves. For example, I am five hundred years young, and I plan to be here for quite some time."

"I see…" said Gerard slowly. Inside he was worried.

"Well, at least that buys us some time. I mean, we've got to be at least as powerful as Starswirl, and once we learn all we can from him…"

"Yes, that's all well and good, but what if that's still not enough? What if we never see her again?"

"Don't think like that, we will see her again-"

Gerard was interrupted from his muteness by a worried looking Starswirl.

"Are you ok boy?"

Gerard visibly shuddered as he returned to reality. "Wh- oh, yes, I'm fine. It's nothing, really" he assured the old pony when he still looked concerned.

"All right then, back to our studies…"

"Ok, so explain to me how it is that you actually managed to get from your world to ours" enquired Starswirl over a steaming mug of herbal tea.

"Well, it was actually quite simple," began Gerard, "The idea came to me while I was reading the ancient texts of my world. They, along with many modern theories, propose the idea of dimensions, or universes, in which various different civilisations live. The rules for these dimensions differ, which could explain why magic is so common in your world and not in mine. They also theorised that if these other dimensions existed, then we should be able to travel between them. But the universe doesn't seem to like this idea, as there are barriers between the different dimensions." Gerard paused to sip his drink.

"If you reach out with your magic you should be able to feel them. But, if humans are correct, the universe has been around for a long time, and time tends to erode all things, including these barriers. So, all I had to do was look for a chink in the armour as it were. This wasn't as difficult as I initially thought however. There was one such weak spot not far from my home, the place where I met the princess. You see, when Celestia banished Luna, the power of the magic she used actually tore a hole in the fabric of space and time, which is how Luna ended up on my world. All I had to do was use my powers of teleportation, and something that resides in one dimension, but belongs to another, and here I am, living proof that inter-dimensional travel is possible.

"Fascinating, how did you come up with this idea?" asked Starswirl, enraptured.

"From a book that in this world would be called 'an old mare's tale'. In my experience however, there is truth behind all fiction, all you have to do is look."

Starswirl sighed. "Again."

Gerard focused and the room began to fade as he was surrounded by a brilliant light. A strong wind began to blow as bolts of lightning began emanating from Gerard's horn. There was a moment of breathlessness, and Gerard was afraid to open his eyes. When he did, the cave was no longer furnished with its usual decorative tapestries and maps, instead it was bare. It was at that moment that Gerard noticed the form of a sleeping pony in the corner. With a start, he realised it was himself! He was filled with joy, but dared not wake himself for fear of creating a time paradox. Instead he hurried to his master's room, where Starswirl was awake and waiting for him.

"Well, well, it seems you've gotten the knack of time spells, your studies are progressing well. When are you from?"

"Next Tuesday morning" Answered the ecstatic pony.

The old mage was visibly taken aback at this. "Next Tuesday morning?! You're months ahead of schedule, how did you do it?"

"Sorcery" Gerard chuckled to himself as he began to disappear.

"Remind me again why I'm turning things into sheep?" asked Gerard, concentrating on the boulder in front of him.

"Because, the Amniomorphic spell is one of my greatest achievements. Also, it teaches you that it is possible to turn one form of matter into another, something your race has been trying to do for centuries, have they not?"

"Yes, I remember the alchemists, but they were trying to turn lead into gold, not rocks into sheep" said Gerard distractedly, a ram standing where there once was a boulder.

"But it's the concept; you just have to apply the theory to other scenarios."

Gerard looked thoughtful for a second before facing the ram once more and concentrating. There was a flash, and a pile of gold replaced the ram.

"Hm, I guess you're right" said Gerard, walking away as if the spell had been no effort at all.

Starswirl was again amazed by the young pony's potency.

The student and master stood facing each other outside the cave that had been their home for so many years, Gerard with saddlebags at his side.

"Ok, I don't know how you've managed it, but I've taught you everything I know."

"Yeah, and it only took two decades" whispered Gerard sarcastically.

"Considering I had planned for it to take more than twice that time" stated Starswirl. "And you don't look a day older than when we started, so my theories are obviously correct."

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways, old stallion. I just want to thank you again, for everything." said Gerard, looking eager to be off.

"And I you Gerard. I will not keep you, for I can see you are eager to be off."

With that, Gerard turned and began to trot down the trail through the woods.

"May Luna guide you!" shouted Starswirl in farewell as the pony disappeared over a crest and out of view. He stood there for a moment, lost in thought.

"That pony is by far the most powerful creature I have ever come across in all my years, and I just let him go before I had heard a fraction of the things he had to say. I hope he succeeds in meeting his princess again." Yet Starswirl was worried, "Though, I sense something dangerous in that unicorn's soul, I just hope when the time comes he is strong enough to face his inner demons." With that, the old mage returned to his cave, never to be seen again.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Princess of the Night**

**A/N:**

It is with great regret that I am here to inform you, the reader, that I will no longer be continuing this story. Hey, you! Yes you! Stop staring indignantly, it's not as if you've never stopped in the middle of a project before! Sorry about that. Anyway, I feel that I need to justify my actions, and so that is what I'll try to do now:

When I started this project six months ago, I never intended to post it online, it was just a small story for myself, like a release for my pent up emotions. Yes I was alone at the time, that's why the story has an overall romantic tone to it. But in the months since then, I have been distracted by schoolwork, and wasn't able to work on the story as much as I had liked. Since then, I have found a special somepony to fill the gap in my life that I had previously been filling with this fic. And so, now that I no longer need that release, the well of ideas for this story has dried up. Every time I sit down to try and write, nothing happens. But don't worry, I am currently working on something new as we speak!

I understand that many people liked what I was writing, and so if you wish, all you have to do is PM me and I will send you the fraction of chapter five part two that I have managed to complete! And, if you really suck up to me, there may be a super-secret surprise document coming your way too!

~ The Anarchist


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